Classical Music for Dummies

My music education, having been neglected, is in better shape after I read this book. The appendices direct the reader where to start buying good classical music, the names of the various works, and their difficulty. The authors do an amazing job of condensing 2000 years of classical music into one slim book. The attached CD is very helpful. Chapter 5 explains the eight selections on the CD. There is a represenative sample of the best composers on it. The authors try a little too hard to be funny. They seem to feel they have to end every paragraph with a one liner. I ignored this annoying trait because the rest of the book is so informative. I plan to start my classical music collection soon.

I've always liked listening to Classical Music but didn't know my Brahms from my Bach. I decided recently to try and learn more about this music. There are plenty of books that are hard to read and technical and then there's this book. This is a great crash course in classical music. Learn what all those Allegro con moto things mean. How many movements are there in a symphony, in a concerto? The book contains a ton of short light biographies on composers along with nice recommendations. Besides that, the book comes with a CD with nine selections of classical music that are broken down moment by moment in the book. It was sheer joy learning how sophisticated and structured the music is. How themes are introduced and worked, how some works tell stories or represent storms, tranquil seasons or the struggles of heros! If you know almost nothing about classical music and want a great introduction, this is the book. I read it cover to cover in a week and now I can't stay out of the library, I'm too busy listening to classical music with a much greater appreciation!!

Many avenues of culture are closed deliberately to people by insiders who use the jargon of the trade with sophistication and snobbery to raise themselves above the poor unknowing multitudes who have not a clue what is being said.Here, authors do a credible and entertaining aid of unpacking the wonderful world of classical music. As one internet classical station puts it, "Classical music without the attitude."Here, although they do make light of it, it aids the uninformed what is at the heart of things classical. From different periods, to how to attend a concert, to beginning a CD collection, to understanding some theory, this is just excellent entrance.Especially fascinating are the peeks into this world, e.g. the audition of the flute players, divorced and their trials at securing a major symphony chair.The interactive materials with CD make their points well, and aid many in enjoying more fully this delightful world.

I've always loved all kinds of music but never really listened to or understood what's going on with classical music. This book was incredible. Just playing the CD that comes with the book and reading the section that walks you through each piece of music opened up a whole new world of music appreciation. With each piece they present possible interpretations of what the composer was actually trying to do/say. This combined with an explanation of the musical forms that they used make you realize that it's not just a random collection of musical phrases. There's very interesting things going on there! There's also a great history section covering all of the big names of classical music and there are plenty of musical recommendations to listen to throughout the book. This is just a great education in music (I've been a musician for 20 years and I still learned something!)